MLK Day: Local pastors carry on 'the dream'

The Rev. Cheryl Parris of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church on Monday. Hunter McRae/Savannah Morning News

Savannah Morning News

The Rev. Michael Lewis of Second St. John Baptist Church on Tuesday. Hunter McRae/Savannah Morning News

Savannah Morning News

Savannah Morning News

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and hundreds of civil rights leaders after him drew from their faith to fight the demons of social oppression and injustice for minority U.S. citizens.

Many of Savannah's black ministers want to continue that battle.

But they face new challenges.

Today, ministers and laymen often don't live in the communities where they attend church. Demonstrating their relevance to young people and those new to religion grows more difficult than ever before.

Here, pastors of four congregations in some of Savannah's poorest neighborhoods share the experiences of their struggles as well as ideas for effecting change.

Pastor Wilson Scott prefers walking the streets to working in his office.

That inclination, and concerns for crime in Savannah's low-income communities, led Scott to launch MAC Attack, which stands partly for Ministers Against Crime.

Since 2006, Scott, of Bethlehem Baptist Church, has organized three marches involving ministers and laity who march through neighborhoods reeling from a recent violent crime.

Some could argue the effectiveness of marches. But Scott believes MAC Attack has done some good, at least temporarily.

"The thing folks have to understand about these marches is when we start using these bullhorns, all these folks start coming out of their houses," he said. "They know what's going on. They know why we're doing it. They know we want them to know we love them, that we want to talk.

"It does a lot to the community. You may not visually be able to see it, but it does enhance the community and make it better than it was before."

Wilson believes the blame for problems faced by some black families today lies in the decline of family values and discipline.

"The family used to go to church together. Now they send their children," Scott said. "I think we can be mentoring more parents. I think parents need to be taught how to raise children, taught how to take care of children."

That might involve taking his ministry from the streets to front doors, he said. "What we're going to have to start doing is going to the home, knocking on some doors and asking parents, 'Do you need help with your child?' " he said. "We need to tell them, 'We want to help. We want to be a part of helping you become better in terms of your self-esteem and what you need to be doing in terms of your children.' "

The Rev. Michael Lewis

Second St. John Baptist Church

When he came on board three years ago, the Rev. Michael Lewis made it clear to the leaders of Second St. John Baptist Church that he saw his job as going beyond the pulpit.

He wanted to be a community leader, to bring attention to injustice, to help feed and clothe the poor, and to build networks with the church's neighbors and other activist congregations.

Recipients in 2007 were a retired pastor, the Rev. Matthew Southall Brown, and gospel radio personality E. Larry McDuffie. This year's awards go to former Mayor Floyd Adams; state Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway; the Rev. Bennie Mitchell, and West Savannah activist LaVera Wilson.

Lewis serves as president of the local chapter of Al Sharpton's civil rights organization, National Action Network. Lewis has invited Sharpton to attend the awards program and chapter inauguration Feb. 24.

The event would be Sharpton's second visit to Savannah since last year. In August, Sharpton headlined a benefit rally for the family of a man fatally shot by a Savannah-Chatham police officer last year.

"That event gave us a sense of awareness and a sense of urgency around getting involved," Lewis said.

After the rally, Lewis said, he joined other black pastors at a successful meeting with Police Chief Michael Berkow. The chief has also spoken to Lewis' congregation.

"We both have open lines, and I feel like I can call him any time of the day," Lewis said.

Lewis also has launched Saints Opposed to Crime, a coalition of West Savannah residents, members of the West Savannah Community Organization and church members.

The group has conducted three marches in West Savannah.

"We know that marches won't stop a shooting, but it will let people know that we are concerned about what is going on," he said. "We're showing we have ears and eyes in the community."

The Rev. Cheryl A. E. Parris

St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

The Rev. Cheryl Parris arrived in Savannah to take the helm at St. Matthew's just more than six months ago. She said she has discovered a rich history within the 65-year-old congregation.

But that history, she said, is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to expanding its reach. "If we're going to have a rich future, we're going to have to make some significant changes," Parris said.

She said she wants to lead the congregation in establishing a new mission toward making the church relevant to its neighbors in the public housing communities, to the single mothers who use the church's day care and to young people.

Those groups in particular have not felt comfortable at church in the past, she said.

"There's a historical knowledge of St. Matthew's as the bourgeoise church, and that's unfortunate," she said. "That's part of our history. We shouldn't negate it, but how do we move forward?"

Parris is launching her first new project around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. St. Matthew's will have a lock-in for up to 60 teenage youngsters starting Sunday.

She will show the movie "Hairspray" and lead a discussion about how society has changed since court-ordered desegregation. A brief worship service is set for midnight.

On Monday morning, the youngsters will decorate the church van and join the parade. "That's a way to get kids to the march - guaranteed," Parris said.

Pastor Rick Bready

Tremont Temple Missionary Baptist Church

Last summer, Pastor Rick Bready announced a new effort in partnership with Chatham-Savannah Youth Futures Authority called the Savannah Faith Coalition for Youth.

The group is meeting temporarily about twice a month to work up an action plan for getting churches involved in addressing local crime and poverty.

So far, the group has set three areas of impact called "The Three C's" - churches, community and "corners."

"One of the things we do as churches is we're making disciples out of people," Bready said. "We allow them to be able to achieve excellence and live lives as respectable people in the community."

The Faith Coalition hopes to help churches expand that effort to young people who aren't necessarily church-goers.

Under the "community" umbrella, the group aims to build relationships with community centers, neighborhood associations and other groups that provide services for youth. The coalition hopes these groups can help churches steer young people into local programs that help them complete school and avoid drugs and unplanned pregnancy.

The "corners" effort consists of having ministers spending time on the streets where young people hang out and engage them in conversations about their concerns and needs.

Get involved

These organizations work to help youth, curb violence and address poverty: